9 Great Instagram Accounts

Behind New York makes me want to move to NYC.

I’m going to add my own insta account to the list as I’m proud of the poems and artwork I’ve been creating during this lockdown period. As Matisse says “Creativity takes courage” so this is me being courageous: https://www.instagram.com/offth_ewall/
Xxx

I love color, so I follow lots of very colorful artistic accounts…
@ettavee a painter with the most fun, colorful designs
@thehayleycakes makes beautiful cakes, cookies with cheeky sayings, and videos of fun sprinkle mixes
@bluebellgray a Scottish brand of gorgeous watercolor products
@novamercury a Canadian weaver who makes joyfully colored wall hangings
@bfreeart fun and colorful resin art
@oeewrites rainbow watercolor calligraphy
@ireneneuwirth beautiful jewels that I’ll never be able to afford
@lovenfreshflowers a flower farmer in Philadelphia who makes the most beautiful floral creations

And not necessarily colorful, but @royalcollectiontrust aka the charity that cares for all the fancy artwork, jewels, and baubles belonging to the British Crown. I love all the little snippets of history they share!

For everyday NYC scenes, you should check out jimbarraud
He takes photos from the bus and along the streets during his work day. They’re incredible and capture so much beauty and personality of NYC.

the.holistic.psychologist puts out some amazing content on self-healing. I’ve learned so much reading her posts over the months – it’s nice to get a little bit of deep/thoughtful information that you can absorb, process and apply.

@Stefdies is hilarious, mesmerizing and truly excellent photography. The subject is photographed laying face down among tourists and among everyday people going about their lives, often with a Where’s Waldo approach to subtlety. It is a delight. https://www.instagram.com/stefdies

As someone who studied contemporary art history, WNRS seems a pretty blatant rip-off of Jenny Holzer’s Truisms. Yes, the statements and images are striking but– it’s not an original idea. I would love for COJ to focus a little bit more on the history behind these things rather than just promoting whatever account is ‘cool.’

@nytimescookingcomments is hilarious!

@mothersbefore is my fave . People send in photos of their mother before she had children and a little story about her life. It’s so touching. I remember realising as a teenager that my mother was a PERSON with a whole inner life and this account reminds me of that.

@blvckvrchives reminds me of @savefamilyphotos, which I already had bookmarked. But I guess I need to bookmark this one, too – it’s making me feel uncomfortable & I think I need to read the stories. @historycoolkids is another place I learn a lot.

such a great list, thanks! (and suggestions in the comments, too). Not gonna help my effort to reduce screen time…

@lokokitchen – her witty commentary is bested only by her pies that look like pieces of art!

I was not expecting a lovely fat black nude when I opened this post.

Thank you, thank you.

Does the NY From Behind get permission from the people they’re photographing?

Thanks for several good suggestions! I’m especially intrigued by Allyson Dinneen’s account and will give it a try.

Simple Families – Denaye Barahona has her PhD in Child Development so you know she knows her stuff, but is super approachable and has great tips for a minimalist journey when you have young kids in the home. Not just less stuff in the house, but less mental clutter and less food drama etc too.

Josie Doodles – I think I found her here, but great comics on body-positivity, emotions, etc.

And of course Smitten Kitchen, because Deb’s been keeping me cooking for a decade, give or take. And Jenny Rosenstrach, because even though I never end up cooking her recipes, her approach to family & food keeps me sane.

Best art accounts: Cup of Meat
https://instagram.com/cupofmeat?igshid=pswuah3n25fv and Peter Shear https://instagram.com/petershear?igshid=e420ns10a3rd. I’ve discovered loads of new painters that I adore from these two accounts, both deceased and contemporary. They also find amazing deep cuts from painters I already know and love like Matisse, Klee, O’Keefe, etc. I don’t really like or use Instagram for the social aspect, but for discovering and exploring new painters it is an excellent, excellent resource.

Immediately signed up for The Happy Newspaper! Such a fun idea. I’m looking forward to getting my first newspaper.

bethostern: Beth Stern, she posts her foster cats and her own cats all day every day and it’s the adorable lift I need.

philamuseum: the Philadelphia museum of art’s official account, it highlights beautiful art from their collection and also has incredibly funny posts celebrating days like Galentine’s Day.

filmtourismus: an account there they superimpose photos of famous movie scenes in the spot in which they were filmed.

subwaybookreview: Photos of people and their books on the subway, with them explaining what the book is and what it means to them

Sorry, gave the wrong link to the Very British Problems, the official link is this one – https://www.instagram.com/verybritishproblemsofficial/

They have a book out already.

I somehow came across @obviousplant. This guy creates hilarious (and sometimes irreverent) fake products in their packaging and then plants them on store shelves. I have laughed until crying at some of the things on this feed.

Thanks for posting the Allyson Dinneen account. I ran across this note from her a few months ago: “I wondered why I was so afraid of conflict, until I remembered that I grew up with one rule as a child: obey. I was taught zero skills on how to safely disagree.”

This hit me hard. I never understood where my extreme conflict-avoidance came from and as soon as I read that sentence it was like a missing puzzle piece of my life. I’ve spent so much time thinking about that (and discussing with my therapist lol) since. Such good insight and I love the format of her instagram account.

You’ve gotta check out @influencersinthewild– it’s hilarious!!

Iowa Farm Sanctuary’s Insta account profiles rescued farm animals and when you see the precious beings, your heart just melts. Today I saw a video they posted of two piglets cuddled up to an adult Labroador Retriever.
I don’t have an IG account but I lurk on IFS daily for a rush of serotonin :)

You find the BEST Instagram accounts! Those painted buttercream cakes are unbelievable.